


Outward Appearances

by JAlexMac



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Beginnings, History, M/M, Old Wounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 03:54:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30083094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JAlexMac/pseuds/JAlexMac
Summary: The beginning of an arduous journey has a way of bringing out truths.
Relationships: Chakotay/Tom Paris
Comments: 10
Kudos: 9





	Outward Appearances

**Author's Note:**

> I’m a JC or JCA through and through, but every now and again... I indulge in experiments.
> 
> Thanks to my lovely Bizarra for her beta skills.
> 
> I own nothing.

Life was suddenly different now. In a matter of hours and seventy thousand light years everything had changed. When Chakotay found himself on _Voyager_ toe-to-toe with the inimitable Captain Janeway, he immediately questioned his life’s decisions. That is, until _he_ strolled upon the bridge. 

Tom Paris. Tom fucking Paris. Of all the people to run into in the Delta Quadrant, he was the last human Chakotay would have thought of. But when those blue eyes and sandy hair appeared, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Despite his gut reaction to kill the man where he stood, Chakotay decided it was best to listen to the Captain. There would be time for other dealings later.

When Torres and Kim had been rescued and Chakotay sacrificed the _Val Jean_ in favor of _Voyager_ , there were too many decisions to be made. After Janeway convinced him to combine their crews under Starfleet rule, he couldn’t ignore the itch of the uniform. He would carry through with the compromises he made with the Captain; still that didn’t mean he always had to like it. His respect for Janeway was forged, but there would always be time behind closed doors.

Not too long after the start of their journey, Chakotay took the opportunity in his down time to pay the lieutenant a visit. Chakotay stripped off his uniform at the end of his shift opting to make his contact in civilian attire. Once dressed, he prepared himself for the visit that had been a long time coming. He’d kept his interaction with Paris strictly to bridge operations thus avoiding any chance for inappropriate conduct. Now however, Chakotay was determined to have his say.

He made long of the short path down to deck four, seeking out the aft turbolift so as to avoid any unnecessary questions from his fellow senior officers; making it look as though he was simply going to spend time on the holodeck or in the mess hall. Approaching the door, he did his best to keep cool. Getting thrown off the ship before they’d even gotten started simply wasn’t an option.

When Chakotay rang the chime, it was only seconds until Paris bounced to the door looking as if he was expecting someone. Chakotay clearly wasn’t that someone. Tom stood frozen and wide-eyed.

“May I come in?”

“I’m actually expecting someone, _Commander._ ” Tom snarked at him.

Chakotay, placed a hand firmly against Tom’s hairy exposed chest, and moved him backwards into his quarters. “Go ahead, call your company and tell them you’re unavailable.”

Tom tapped his combadge. “Paris to Nicoletti.”

“I’m on my way, Tom.”

“I’m sorry Susan. I’m going to have to cancel tonight.”

“What?”

“Something has come up. Rain Check?”

“We’ll see.” The slightly annoyed voice responded.

Tom looked dejected as he turned back to Chakotay. Sitting down in one of the chairs in his living area, he leaned back and looked skeptically at his now commanding officer. 

“To what exactly do I owe this pleasure?”

“Since you saved my life and all, I’m going to go easy for now.” Chakotay slipped into the seat next to him. “What are you doing here? Or should I ask how you managed to weasel your way out of prison?”

“Hey… Janeway sought me out. I didn’t ask for _any_ of this.”

“You sure your father didn’t put in a word?” Chakotay snarled.

“Leave my father out of this. We don’t even speak.”

“Still not Admiral Paris’s Golden Boy, huh?”

Tom’s shoulders slumped. “That’s a low blow even for you.”

“Why should I bolster your confidence? After what you did to me?”

“I didn’t do anything to you.”

“You don’t call ratting us out to Starfleet ‘ _anything’?”_

“You abandoned me on Delatnik three.” Paris rolled his eyes. 

“You wouldn’t listen!” Chakotay yelled in response.

Tom stood suddenly, and lorded over his commanding officer. “I was listening, you just didn’t like what I had to say!”

Chakotay stood and faced Tom head on, not backing down from his attempted intimidation. “All I heard was you trying to cover up what we had built!”

“What we’d _done_ was make real change, and yet you threw it all away for Seska!” Tom shrieked.

“You heard her propositioning _me_ , not the other way around.”

“Oh really? So what she said was all fallacy? You mean you weren’t just using me to get to my father?” Tom pushed his face closer to Chakotay.

“I would never!” Chakotay’s face reddened in anger. “I had hoped you knew that, but instead you took what you wanted and then threw me to the wolves.”

Tom’s squeezed his eyes shut. “Is that really why you left me out there?” 

Both men stood face-to-face, emotion warring within each of them, wounds of the past still fresh on their already fragile minds. Tom lifted a hand, stroking his fingers through the salt and pepper hair at Chakotay’s temple. Chakotay leaned into his touch, and all the memories of years ago flooded his consciousness. 

“Chakotay…” Tom whispered.

“I know you’ve given your loyalties to Janeway, and so have I, but what do we do now?”

“I know what I’d like to do now.” Tom leaned closer.

The two men’s lips came crashing down upon each other in a fervent battle of wills. Chakotay lifted his hands from his sides and found Tom’s neck. He caressed the exposed skin there, working his index finger against his pulse point. When the need for oxygen became imminent they broke apart, however reluctantly.

“You can’t imagine how much I’ve missed that.” Chakotay’s dimples crested his cheeks.

“I don’t have to imagine.” Tom stared at the full swollen lips in front of him. “You know she thinks we hate each other?” 

“Well, we did make quite a display on her bridge.” Chakotay chuckled. “We’re gonna be out here a long time, perhaps for now we should keep it that way.”

“Does that mean you’ll let me back in?” 

“I can’t let you back in… I never let you go.”

- _fin_ -

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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